The ageing Simeon had told Our Lady prophetically that her child Jesus was “destined to be a sign that is opposed… so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare” (Lk 2:35).
Jesus was, in fact, misunderstood. His person and teaching were strongly opposed by some leading religious contemporaries. This resistance hardened, finally leading to his arrest, passion and humiliating death by crucifixion, then reserved for criminals. Jesus was the victim of open persecution.
Jesus foretold that his followers would also be persecuted: “…a servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too” (John 15:20).
The Acts of the Apostles unsurprisingly reflect Jesus’ prophecy. Stephen is martyred for his faith in Christ (6:8-7:60). Saul, holding a warrant to arrest Christians, is told he is “persecuting” Jesus (9:4). Herod beheads James and arrests Peter (12:1-2). Paul suffers persecution and arrest (Acts 16:16-24).
The past two millennia were marked by the persecution of Christians: countless believers were martyred. Even nowadays, whatever the exact figures, presently disputed, Christianity is unquestionably the most persecuted religion. Christians, like Jesus, are often being persecuted.
Persecution exists because Christians believe it is worth witnessing to the truth, to goodness and love, and are ready to pay the price of their faithfulness
What does all this imply? Firstly, persecution of Christians involves the mysterious intertwining of sin and grace. The human act of willingly inflicting pain and death is sinful, utterly displeasing to God. At the same time, God, who is omnipotent, can work through it. Here we plumb one aspect of the mystery of the Cross. Christ was crucified and cruelly killed by human beings, yet this co-existed with “the deliberate intention and foreknowledge of God” who then raised Him from the dead, as Peter would preach at Pentecost (Acts 2:23-24).
A second related point concerns the redemptive power of the suffering of the persecuted person. Jesus crucified, the persecuted one par excellence, suffers and invokes pardon on those who have caused his death. From the Cross he draws all to himself (John 12:32). Suffering persecuted Christians draw human beings to Christ.
Thirdly, persecution exists because Christians believe it is worth witnessing to the truth, to goodness and love, and are ready to pay the price of their faithfulness. Persecution expresses human intolerance to the inconvenient truth, which Christian believers witness to. Where Christians are persecuted, there is a struggle in which one side personifies the crucified and Risen Lord.
Finally, as Pope Francis has said, persecution can be overt or subtle. It is overt where Christians are driven from their homes, bombed in their churches, imprisoned, even beheaded. Overt persecution often takes the form of discrimination at work, even in supposedly tolerant societies, such as when Christians following their conscience refuse to carry out certain medical practices.
In Western society, however, persecution is mostly subtle. Christians are ridiculed for their beliefs, their faith considered childish or irrational, their values deemed irrelevant to modern life. At times explicitly articulated, these assumptions are often unspoken, yet very powerful.
Maltese Christians need to be aware of subtle persecution and guard against it. While remaining open to dialogue, not suspecting hardened opposition to Gospel values in everything, they nevertheless must not be naïve, overlooking that our culture is becoming a-religious and often anti-religious.
Persecution should not upset or daunt Christians. There is here a call to live faith in Christ more fully, even in the public sphere, expressing it in a manner relevant for contemporary society through love, mercy, reasoned thinking and justice.
Fr Soler is a member of the Society of Jesus.